Poros
by LemonSmoothie
Summary: Narrated by Apollo. Post-Dual Destinies, spoilers for last two cases. Apollo attempts to help the standoffish Aura with her grief. Easier said than done.


"Poros"

Disclaimer: All characters from Ace Attorney copyright Capcom.

Time: Right after Dual Destinies

Nothing surpri ses me much anymore. So when Simon Blackquill, aka the Twisted Samurai and He Who Will Slice You Up, showed up at the Wright Anything Agency, I barely batted an eye.

He looked as sullen as ever. Being acquitted had apparently done nothing to lift his spirits. In fact, I could swear his scowl grew deeper as he looked around the office. As usual, Trucy's magic props were scattered everywhere. The desk in the corner was piled high with case files, photographs, and papers. The law books in the bookshelves lining the wall were covered with a thin layer of dust.

I stood up as he entered the room. He'd probably swing his sword at me if I didn't. "Um, Mr. Blackquill?" I asked. "What brings you here?"

"Justice-dono," he said in his usual bored, clipped tone. He held out a pink envelope.

I took it. It was addressed to me. "Is this some sort of love note?"

He looked perturbed, which is Blackquill's default reaction. This guy could make Oscar the Grouch look optimistic. "It is from Aura."

"Aura?" I asked.

"I just said that." His tone went from clipped to downright sour. "Do not make me repeat myself." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" I cried. "You came all the way down here to deliver this. Would you like some tea?"

"No, thank you," he replied.

"There's a stamp on this letter. Why did you deliver it personally?"

"When my older sister asks me to do her a favor, what can I do but indulge her?"

"I see," I said. But Blackquill was already halfway out the door.

I opened the envelope. It contained a key and one sheet of paper. The paper was high-end lined stationery. There were cute cartoony robots along the left and right margins. Aura had written with a black pen her address and the following message: _We made a promise. Your payment is in my apartment. Try not to make a mess in my home. It is in the safe, behind the family portrait in the den. You know the password. Your obedient, Aura Blackquill. _

XXX

Athena and I sat up late that night to watch a stupid TV show. As the credits rolled, I said to her, "I'm going to visit Aura in prison tomorrow."

"Really?" She asked. "What for?"

"Just to talk." It was the truth.

"Can you give her a message for me?" Athena thought a moment.

"What?"

"I…" Athena stopped short. "Scratch that. I don't know what to say."

"When you find the words, you should tell her yourself," I said simply.

"I don't think that would be a good idea," Athena said quietly. "I'm probably the last person she wants to see, let alone talk to." She stood up. "Could I show you something?"

"Sure," I said.

"I'll be right back." She went upstairs. A few minutes later, she returned, carrying a box. She sat down and opened it. Inside was a beautiful gold diadem. Several yellow gemstones were set in the center, arranged in the shape of a sun.

"Wow," I said. "Did your mother give you this?"

"No," she said. "My mother left me two things." She touched her moon-shaped earring. "This earring and Widget. She did not give me this."

"Then was it Tall, Dark, and Moody?" It was hard to picture.

Athena burst out laughing. "Him? Give a girl a tiara?! Simon Blackquill?! Ha!"

Apparently, she shared my opinion. "I kind of wonder what he would give a girl as a present. At the same time, I don't want to know."

Athena giggled. "That's probably best. No, Aura gave me this. A long time ago. You know how she called me princess?"

"Yeah, real derisively, too."

"She used to call me that, but it was nice. She said I was a princess, and the Space Center was my castle. And the robots were my servants. Simon was my knight. And he always corrected her: samurai. Aura was very nice to me back then. She'd show me pictures of her and Simon when they were kids. And Simon would take the photos and cut them to ribbons, but she seemed to have an infinite number of copies." Athena smiled. "My mother nearly had a heart attack when I tore open my birthday present from her. She said, 'You didn't have to buy her such an expensive present!' And Aura just said she wanted to. And I was delighted. I immediately put it on. You know this stone? It's yellow topaz. My birthday is November 9. Yellow topaz is the lucky stone for those born in November."

"Even I can tell this is an expensive gift," I said. I was having trouble picturing Aura being so sentimental. But then, she really cared for her boss, Dr. Cykes. She must have thought making Dr. Cykes' daughter happy would make Dr. Cykes happy.

"I had no idea she's hated me all this time," Athena said. "I guess it's understandable. All this time, she thought I killed Mother, and that her brother claimed he did to protect me. And she did see the bloodstains on his coat during the trial, and knew my headphones made them." She sighed. "I should give this back to her. Maybe if I give it to Simon…"

"I think Prosecutor Blackquill hates being a delivery boy," I said, recalling his dour mood when he dropped off Aura's note.

"You're probably right about that," she agreed.

"Athena," I said. "I want to ask you something, and it might insensitive, but I'd like to know."

"What is it?"

"I read as much as I could about the trial for UR-1. And there's a detail that's mentioned a few times. That Aura and Simon's father, Aurelius Blackquill, was present at the trial. And when the judge declared his guilty verdict, he died. Right there in the courtroom."

"Yes. It is true." Athena looked glum. "Aura was sitting there next to him. He stood up as they were taking Simon away. And then he collapsed, as if his legs turned to jelly. I was in the gallery, and I could hear him. I forgot a lot of details, but I never forgot what he said to her: _You must check my desk. You will know my last gift to you when you see it. And you will understand my final message, Aura, my bright star. _He stopped talking and slumped over. She hugged him and cried out. And her heart screamed. I ran to her. I wanted to hug her. But I don't think she saw me. She turned around, and looked past me.

"She must have been in shock," I said.

It was mostly in newspapers. It sounded so…melodramatic, especially the way it had been mentioned. Headline: _Prosecutor Blackquill Guilty! Defendant's Dad Drops Dead!_ Another one: _Prosecutor Blackquill Guilty, Kills Yet Again_. I felt disgust at them. A man died in his daughter's arms, from the shock of seeing his son convicted for a brutal and horrific murder. Newspaper circulation might be at an all-time low, but that's no excuse to sensationalize what happened.

I stood up. "I'm going to bed."

"All right," Athena said, placing the tiara back in the box. "Good night, Apollo."

"Good night, Athena."

XXX

The next morning, I arrived at the Detention Center just as visiting hours began.

As I waited for the guards to bring Aura to the visitor's room, I remembered our conversations. About the late Dr. Cykes, and how both the Blackquill siblings had admired her. The Blackquill family motto: _Poros_, creative ingenuity. And the rumors surrounding the Blackquills, of high espionage as well as the Venusian Diamond. That had not been the first time I heard the tale of the Venusian Diamond. I had first heard of the gem in high school. It was a Friday night. Clay and I were waiting for dinner. Which was pizza from Pietro's. Dr. Terran, Clay's dad, was a good scientist, but his cooking skills were virtually nonexistent. Mrs. Terran had formerly been the family cook, but she had died two years before. There were nights when Dr. Terran and Clay did not eat out, and Clay credited these nights for his iron stomach. Which is a prerequisite for an astronaut. Only he could find the silver lining in his dad's disastrous attempts at food.

"_Have you ever heard of the Moonstone?" I asked Dr. Terran._

"_Moonstone?" Dr. Terran looked up from the tall stack of grant proposals he was drafting. "Like, sodium and potassium aluminum silicate?"_

"_No, the book. The Moonstone is a diamond that waxes and wanes like the moon," I explained. _

"_Ah, the novel." Dr. Terran shrugged. "I'm afraid English lit is not my forte." _

"_We're reading it in literature class," Clay added. _

"_I heard that it's loosely based on a real diamond," I said. "That it shines and dims, and if you make a wish when it shines the brightest, it will come true!" _

"_Oh!" Dr. Terran beamed. "I know! That's the Venusian Diamond! Any geologist worth his Ph.D has heard of the Venusian Diamond!" _

"_Do you know where it is?" I asked. "Is it in a temple somewhere in India?" _

"_No one really knows," Dr. Terran said. "But I wouldn't place my faith in that wish-granting capability. If that diamond really existed, someone would wish on it for world peace, and we don't have that, do we?" _

"_I guess it is silly," I said. _

"_Do you know why it is called the Venusian Diamond?" Dr. Terran asked. "Because the planet Venus is visible in the night sky, and resembles a bright star." _

_Clay took over. "And Venus sometimes appears to wax and wane like the moon." _

_The doorbell rang. Dr. Terran stood up. "Pizza's here!" He went to answer the door. _

"_Don't take Dad so seriously," Clay said once he was out of earshot. "He doesn't really believe in dreams. Or miracles. Or much beyond the rocks he studies. It's rather depressing." He shrugged, and really did look all the world like a miniature version of his father. I felt a brief stab of envy. I have no idea what my real dad looked like, or if I resembled him at all. "Apollo, if you found the Venusian Diamond, what would you wish for?" _

"_A real family," I replied. "I'd ask what you'd wish for, but I already know. To go into space." _

"_I'll go into space, but I can do that without the Venusian Diamond's help," Clay said. "Just like you'll become a great lawyer." _

XXX

"Mr. Justice? How nice of you to pay me a visit," Aura arrived in the visitor's room. She still had the air of a queen.

I held up her note. "I got your message."

"And I wasn't clear enough?"

"I wanted to talk to you," I said. "Do you have an attorney?"

"I did what I'm here for," Aura said. "Nothing else. So why would I need one?"

"I contacted the Law Offices of Thompson and French. Alastor French owes me a favor, so he might be willing to represent you. Even if you did pull that idiotic stunt."

"What if I preferred someone else? Someone who is younger and cuter and wears lots of red? Someone I could cuddle in bed like a teddy bear?" Aura looked like she was inviting me to dinner. Where she'd eat me. I felt my cheeks redden.

"Um, don't you swing another way entirely?" It was a dumb response, but all I could think to say.

Aura smirked. "You're even cuter when you're flustered."

"I can't be your lawyer," I said. "Appeals aren't my strong suit. And I must recuse myself from your case. One of your hostages was a dear friend of mine."

"The little magician girl," Aura said.

"I assume that was just a lucky guess," I answered.

"No, it's obvious from the way you two mirror each other." She folded her arms. "I suppose I can at least talk to Mr. French about it. If it pleases you. Was there anything else?"

"Yes, actually," I said. "I saw the tiara you gave Athena. She wants to give it back."

"She can keep it," Aura said. "Frankly, I don't think I can look at my father's work without crying."

"Father's work?" I asked.

"Yes," she explained. "My father was a metalcaster and lapidary. He made beautiful pieces of art. I commissioned that tiara for the princess' birthday. He did not disappoint. It surprises me, though. That the princess saved it all this time. Why not sell it? Demand for my father's pieces has skyrocketed since his passing."

She hadn't said Athena's name once. I guess she was still bitter about it. "She kept it because she cared about you. And I know you still hate her, but…"

"You're wrong," she said. "I do not hate her. I don't think I ever did."

My bracelet didn't react, which meant she wasn't tense. In fact, she looked almost relieved. "You never hated her?"

"I believed she was a murderess, but even that couldn't make me hate her. I was shocked and disappointed. That Dr. Cykes would have met her end at the hands of an ungrateful child, and that my brother would end his own life for her."

"Do you feel bad for not trusting her?" I asked. "I feel the same way."

"I don't know," she replied. "Should I? She was not the murderer, but that was the best conclusion I could make based on what I knew at the time."

That was technically true, but it seemed rather cold.

I decided to change the subject. I held up the note again. "Are you sure you want me to go there?"

"If I was ever sure of anything, I'm sure of it."

"One last question," I said. "Do you believe in the legend? Isn't that why your father searched his whole life through? Because he wanted your wishes to come true?"

"Do you have any reason to think I believe in such foolishness?" Aura sniffed. "Unlike my father the romantic, I'm a pragmatist. So was my scientist mother. So is my brother."

"Didn't your wish come true? You wished for your brother's acquittal, and it came around."

"You're wrong again," Aura said. "While I did want Simon to be acquitted, that is not what I would have wished for."

"Then what?"

"To not feel anything anymore." Aura gave me an angry look to rival one of her brother's. "This interview is over. Leave now."

There was a pulse on my bracelet. I knew she didn't mean what she was saying, and I think I can guess what she wished for. That the time she spent with Dr. Cykes, her brother, and Athena together could have lasted forever.

XXX

Even though I had been invited, I still felt guilty for going into Aura's apartment. In fact, apartment was an understatement. It was a penthouse suite. Since the Cosmos Space Center had undergone those severe budget cuts leading to slashed salaries, I knew Aura was living off her inheritance. I passed through the foyer and into the den.

The right wall had a portrait of Aura, Simon, and their parents in happier days. Guessing from the appearances of Simon and Aura, the portrait had been painted fifteen years ago. I gently lifted it from the wall.

There was a metal safe door and a keypad. I hit the following keys: P, O, R, O again, and S. The words 'clear' appeared on a small green screen. I heard a click. The handle turned easily.

The safe was empty except for a cushion, on which Aura's payment to me rested.

"She didn't," I said. I knew what it was. With shaking hands, I took it out. It was shaped like a starburst, colorless, and shone brilliantly in the light. A more romantic person would say it resembled a star that fell from the sky. But of course it was not. This came from deep within the earth. Pure carbon that had been subjected to immense pressure. The parting gift of a father who wanted his daughter to embrace her dreams. For I held in my hands, the Venusian Diamond.

I admired the play of light across the stone surface. It had been cut and polished. Aurelius Blackquill chose this shape to save as much of the original diamond. And what was it that Athena said he called Aura? His bright star? Yes, a star for his star. He was probably planning to make a setting for this diamond, but he died before he could finish.

Aura, let's face it, is combative and abrasive, but she can never claim she wasn't loved.

I knew then I couldn't take the Venusian Diamond from her, even if she wanted so badly to be rid of it.

Besides, the wish I made in my childhood – a real family – has come true. Mr. Wright, Trucy, Athena. They're my family, and they've made me so happy. Even if I pushed them away, I always knew deep in my heart they'd wait for me.

I'm not much of a believer in spirits or ghosts, but I held the diamond in my hands. "Aura, I know you reject emotion as silly, but the feelings of love for your parents, your brother, Dr. Cykes, and Athena are yours. No one can take them from you, not even yourself." I wished for the Diamond to grant Aura relief from the pain of loss. But I have no way of knowing if it will come true.

I placed the diamond back in the safe and shut the door, then made sure it locked. I moved to the glass French doors. The sun had set, and the stars were becoming visible.

"Mr. and Mrs. Blackquill," I said. I'm not one to believe in spirits, but I thought if there were anywhere their presence could leak, it was here. Where Simon and Aura grew up. "Don't worry about Aura. Simon's free and he'll take care of her. I'll help anyway I can."

There was one last wish, one I didn't need the Venusian Diamond for. I tried to conjure an image of Clay, and speak calmly. "Clay, I don't know if you can hear me. I can't know what lies beyond the grave yet, but…take care of things over there for me. I'll handle things on Earth. Everything will be fine."

The End


End file.
